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Tucker waits for word on Leafs buyout

Darcy Tucker remains in the dark about whether he will return for a ninth season in a Maple Leafs uniform this fall. And while no one from Leafs management has contacted him, it's believed the 33-year-old winger's name has already passed through the board level at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as a leading candidate for a contract buyout in June.

There wasn't a happy face in the Air Canada Centre April 6, 2008, as Darcy Tucker and the rest of the Maple Leafs packed up their equipment and left to get another early start on summer. (COLIN MCCONNELL / TORONTO STAR)

By mark zwolinskisports reporter

Fri., May 2, 2008

A question mark continues to float over winger Darcy Tucker's future in Toronto, with indications persisting that he will be the first Leaf to be bought out of his contract once the period for buyouts opens June 15.

Tucker remains in the dark about whether he will return for a ninth season in a Maple Leafs uniform this fall. And while no one from Leafs management has contacted him, it's believed the 33-year-old winger's name has already passed through the board level at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as a leading candidate for a contract buyout.

"No one from the Leafs has approached me about a buyout," Tucker's agent, Carlos Sosa, said. "But the Leafs know there are plenty of places Darcy can play if a buyout occurs.

"What is puzzling is the lack of a denial on the part of the Leafs management as to whether they will buy this player out or not."

Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher couldn't confirm or deny a Tucker buyout, largely because buyouts are not at the top of the organizational agenda at the moment.

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Fletcher said the Leafs, while in the middle of a general manager interview process at the board level, are also preparing for the NHL draft at the hockey operations level. And those preparations involve more than evaluating the junior talent pool that will be the basis for the 10 picks the Leafs have in the first seven rounds.

It's likely Fletcher will revisit the groundwork he established at the NHL trade deadline back in January and possibly reconvene talks with Leafs who are protected by no-trade clauses: Tucker, Bryan McCabe, Pavel Kubina and Tomas Kaberle.

It's believed Fletcher had deadline deals for Mats Sundin (now free-agent bound) and Kaberle that would have netted Jeff Carter from the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal's Chris Higgins and a host of draft picks.

"No decisions have been made on buyouts and (they won't be) until the last few days of June, after the entry draft (June 20-21 in Ottawa)," Fletcher said. "Lots of decisions will be made on what's done between now and then ... (potential) trades made and, if they are made, where does that leave (the Leafs). There are a lot of things we'll try to do between now and the entry draft and we'll do what's best for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but (buying out contracts) is not something we've discussed yet."

Tucker has three seasons remaining on a four-year contract extension he signed last February and he could have made more on the open market than the $3 million (U.S.) annual salary he agreed to with the Leafs.

While he played through injury this past season and fell below his production of the previous two seasons, there is almost no doubt he is an attractive resource either on the open market or via trade. (The Ottawa Senators asked about him prior to dealing for Cory Stillman and Martin Lapointe in February.)

"We welcome whatever path they choose," Sosa said.

NOTE: Highly touted Swedish prospect Fabian Brunnstrom is expected to be in Toronto next week as his tour of NHL cities continues. Brunnstrom will visit Colorado and Montreal before arriving in Toronto.

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